Device for fastening a sensor on containers

ABSTRACT

Device for fastening a sensor on containers with a flexible container wall, in particular mixing bags, comprising a sensor support which is fitted with a sensor, bears against an inner wall of the container wall at least with a rear subsurface averted from the sensor, and is guided with a central piece through an opening in the container wall in which the sensor support is fixed on the container wall by a clamping part which can be connected to the central piece, in which the container wall is clamped between the rear subsurface of the sensor support and on a bearing surface, facing an outer wall of the container, of the clamping part, and in which the rear subsurface bears sealingly against the inner wall of the container wall. The sensor support can also have an electronic or optical transmit unit which is connected to the sensor, in which case the transmit unit communicates in a wireless fashion with a receive unit arranged outside the container.

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No.11/642,264, filed Dec. 20, 2006, and currently pending.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a device for fastening a sensor on containerswith a flexible container wall, in particular mixing bags, comprising asensor support which is fitted with a sensor, bears against an innerwall of the container wall at least with a rear subsurface averted fromthe sensor, and is guided with a central piece through an opening in thecontainer wall.

The invention also relates to a device for fastening a sensor oncontainers with a flexible container wall, in particular mixing bags,comprising a sensor support which is fitted with the sensor and isarranged on an inner wall of the container wall with a rear surfaceaverted from the sensor.

2. Description of the Related Art

Such devices are used chiefly in flexible containers which arepreferably designed as disposal containers or mixing bags. Such mixingbags are used in the pharmaceutical/biotechnology industry, in which themost varied of applications require sterile liquids to be not onlyrefilled, transported and stored, but also manipulated. This includes,for example, mixing processes in which liquid or solid media must beadded to the sterile liquids and be mixed with one another undercontrol. It is frequently necessary in this case to measure processvariables such as, for example, temperature or the pH value of thesterile liquids.

WO 2005/068059 A1 discloses a mixing bag which has a sensor formeasuring a parameter of the mixture. In this case, the mixing bag ismade available to the user in an already sterilized form. When sensorsarranged inside the mixing bag are used, they require a communicationlink to a control unit arranged outside the bag. It must be ensured herethat the sterility inside the mixing bag is not impaired. Use is madefor this purpose of a device for fastening the sensor on the containerwall or mixing bag wall and in which the sensor is inserted.

It is disadvantageous in the case of the known device that because itssensor support is bonded to the wall of the container or mixing bag, theadhesive can impair the medium or the mixture in the mixing bag. If thesensor support is welded to the wall of the mixing bag, leaks can occurat the welding seam as the mixing bag is being handled.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to make available adevice for fastening a sensor which, on the one hand, ensures a reliablecommunication link to the outside and, on the other hand, preserves thestability in the interior on the mixing bag and does not impair themixing in the bag.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the subject invention, this object is achieved,firstly, by virtue of the fact that a sensor support is fixed on thecontainer wall by a clamping part which can be connected to the centralpiece, that the container wall is clamped between the rear subsurface ofthe sensor support and on a bearing surface, facing an outer wall of thecontainer, of the clamping part, and that the rear subsurface bearssealingly against the inner wall of the container wall.

A leakproof and reliable connection between the sensor support andcontainer wall arises because the container wall is clamped between thesensor support and clamping part and the rear subsurface bears againstthe inner wall of the container wall. The sterility in the container istherefore not impaired and it is possible to completely dispense withadhesives between the container wall and sensor support.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the clampingpart can be latched with the central piece.

The device can be mounted easily and cost effectively, given that thecentral piece and the clamping part can be latched with one another.

According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, theclamping part can be screwed to the central piece.

A simple and reliable connection of the device to the container walllikewise arises from screwing the clamping part to the central piece.The screw fitting can be bonded on the thread in order to enhance thesecurity of the connection. In addition, possible tolerances between theparts screwed to one another can more easily be compensated in the caseof a screw fitting.

In accordance with a further preferred embodiment of the invention, therear subsurface has one or more clamping projections which engage in thecontainer wall in a fashion transverse to the container wall.

The clamping projections, which engage in the container wall, ensurethat the container wall cannot be withdrawn laterally from the clampingconnection.

According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, thebearing surface of the clamping part has one or more clampingprojections which engage in the container wall in a fashion transverseto the container wall. The clamping projections are designed as annularwebs, in particular in the case of screwing of the clamping part. Theclamping projections of the sensor support and of the clamping part arecoordinated with one another and, for example, arranged offset from oneanother.

In accordance with a further preferred embodiment of the invention, anelectrical or optical connection is guided through the central piece ofthe sensor support from the sensor to a sensor electronics outside thecontainer.

In this case, the electrical or optical connection can be arrangedreliably in the central piece. For example, it can be cast, togetherwith the sensor, in the central piece or the sensor support. It is alsopossible to arrange electrical or optical coupling on the central piece.

Furthermore, the object is achieved by virtue of the fact that thesensor support has an electronic or optical transmit unit which isconnected to the sensor and that the transmit unit communicates in awireless fashion with a receive unit arranged outside the container.

A cut-out in the container wall can be dispensed with owing to thetransmit unit in the sensor support. Outside the container, all that isthen required is a corresponding receive unit for wirelesscommunication, which can be of reusable design. Welding the sensorsupport to the container wall is possible here in principle without aproblem, since possible sealing problems of the welding seam play norole here.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the sensorsupport has on its rear surface a central piece which is surrounded in aform-fitting fashion by a bulge of the container wall.

Welding or bonding can be dispensed with owing to the bulge at thecentral piece which is surrounded in a form-fitting fashion by acorresponding bulge in the container wall. However, it is sufficient inprinciple to insert the central piece into a bulge in the containerwall, and to fix it via a clamping ring fitted from outside and whichcan have the requisite receive unit.

Further details of the invention emerge from the following detaileddescription and the attached drawings, in which preferred embodiments ofthe invention are illustrated by way of example.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows, in section, a side view of a device for fastening a sensorin the case of which a clamping part can be latched with a centralpiece;

FIG. 2 shows, in section, a side view of a device for fastening a sensorin the case of which a clamping part can be screwed to a central piece;

FIG. 3 shows a side view of a device for fastening a sensor in the caseof which the clamping part and central piece can be latched and haveclamping projections;

FIG. 4 shows, in section, a side view of a device for fastening a sensorwhich has an optical sensor and an optical signal line;

FIG. 5 shows, in section, a side view of a device for fastening a sensorwhich has a transmit unit which is connected to the sensor; and

FIG. 6 shows a side view of a further device for fastening a sensor witha sensor support which has a transmit unit which is connected to thesensor and whose central piece is surrounded in a form-fitting fashionby a bulge in the container wall.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Turning to FIGS. 1-6 respectively, a device 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 forfastening a sensor 7, 8 on containers with a flexible container wall 9essentially comprises a sensor support 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and asensor 7, 8.

The sensor supports 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 exhibit the sensor 7, 8 inthe region of their front surfaces 17. The sensor supports 11, 12, 13,14, 15, 16 bear against an inner wall 20 of the container wall 9 withtheir rear subsurface 18 or rear surface 19 averted from the frontsurface 17.

In the region of their rear subsurface 18, the sensor supports 11, 12,13, 14 respectively have a central piece 21, 10 which is guided throughan opening 22 in the container wall 9 and connected to a clamping part23, 24, 25. The clamping part 23, 24, 25 has a bearing surface 26 withthe aid of which it bears against an outer wall 27, averted from theinner wall 20, of the container wall 9 such that the container wall 9 isclamped between the rear subsurface 18 and bearing surface 26, and thebearing surface 26 bears sealingly against the inner wall 20.

In accordance with the embodiments of FIG. 1 and FIG. 4, the clampingpart 23 can be latched with the central piece 21 and, in accordance withFIG. 3, the clamping part 25 can be latched with the central piece 21.The central piece 21 of the sensor supports 11, 13 and 14 respectivelyhas for this purpose a circumferential latching lug 28 which latcheswith a circumferential latching groove 29 in the clamping parts 23, 25.

According to an embodiment in accordance with FIG. 2, the clamping part24 can be screwed to the central piece 10 of the sensor support 12.

According to the embodiment in accordance with FIG. 3, the clamping part25 has on its bearing surface 26 two clamping projections 30 designed asannular webs, and the sensor support 13 has on its rear subsurface 18 aclamping projection 31 designed as an annular web. The clampingprojection 31 of the sensor support 13 is arranged in this case on thediameter which lies between the diameters of the two clampingprojections 30 of the clamping part 25.

The sensor 7 is embedded in the sensor supports 11, 12, 13, 15 and 16.In accordance with FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the sensor 7 is connected to asensor electronics (not illustrated) via an electric connection 32 whichis guided through the central piece 21.

In accordance with the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 4, an optical sensor8 is formed by an end of a light guide which is connected as opticalconnection 33 to a sensor electronics or sensor control unit (notillustrated). The optical connection 33 is guided in a central bore 34for the central piece 31 of the sensor support 14. In the region of thefront surface 17 of the sensor support 14, the central bore 34 iscovered sealingly by a transparent cover 35. In conjunction with acorresponding coating, in this case the transparent cover can act as theactual sensor.

According to an embodiment in accordance with FIG. 5, the sensor support15 bears with its rear surface 19 averted from the sensor 7 against theinner wall 20 of the flexible container wall 9. For the purpose offixing, the sensor support 15 is welded to the container wall 9. In thiscase, the sensor 7 embedded in the sensor support 15 is connected to atransmit unit 36, which is likewise embedded in the sensor support 15and can also be designed as a transmit/receive unit. A receive part 37with a receive unit 38, which can communicate with the transmit unit 36of the sensor support 15, can be placed outside the container wall 9 orthe container. The receive unit 38 can likewise be designed as atransmit/receive unit. The receive unit 38 or transmit/receive unit isthen connected to a sensor electronics (not illustrated) via anelectrical connection 39.

According to an embodiment in accordance with FIG. 6, the sensor support16 has on its rear surface 40 a central piece 41 which is surrounded ina form-fitting fashion by a bulge 42 in the container wall 9.

While the invention has been described with respect to certain preferredembodiments, it is apparent that various changes can be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by theappended claims.

1. Device (5, 6) for fastening a sensor (7) on containers with aflexible container wall (9), comprising a sensor support (15, 16) whichis fitted with the sensor (7) and is arranged with a rear surface,averted from the sensor (7) and disposed on an inner surface (20) of thecontainer wall (9), characterized in that the sensor support (15, 16)has an electronic or optical transmit unit (36) which is connected tothe sensor (7) and in that the transmit unit (36) communicates in awireless fashion with a receive unit (38) arranged outside thecontainer, the sensor support (16) having on its rear surface (19) acentral piece (41) which is surrounded in a form-fitting fashion by abulge (42) of the container wall (9).
 2. A device (5, 6) for fastening asensor (7) on containers with a flexible container wall (9), theflexible container wall (9) having opposite inner and outer surfaces(20, 27), the device comprising a sensor support (15, 16) which isfitted with the sensor (7) and is arranged with a rear surface (19, 40)averted from the sensor (7) and disposed on the inner surface (20) ofthe container wall (9), the sensor support (15, 16) having an electronicor optical transmit unit (36) which is connected to the sensor (7); anda receive part (37) disposed on the outer surface (27) of the containerwall (9) at a location substantially opposed to the rear surface (19,40) of the sensor support (15), the receive part (37) having a receiveunit (38), the transmit unit (36) arranged inside the containercommunicating in a wireless fashion with the receive unit (38) arrangedoutside the container.
 3. The device of claim 2, wherein the sensor (7)and the transport unit (36) are embedded in the sensor support (15). 4.The device of claim 2, wherein the sensor support (15) is welded to theinner surface (20) of the container wall (9).
 5. The device of claim 2,wherein the receive unit (38) is embedded in the receive part (37). 6.The device of claim 2, wherein the sensor support (16) has a centralpiece (41) projecting from the rear surface (19), the central piece (41)being surrounded in a form-fitting fashion by a bulge (42) of thecontainer wall (9).